ABB wins Rs 270-cr order from Indian Railways

New Delhi, Feb 19 Swiss power major ABB said Tuesday that it has bagged a Rs 270-crore order for train technologies from Indian Railways.

"ABB has won its largest traction equipment order in India, worth more than Rs 270 crore to supply state-of-the-art converters for electric locomotives from Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), in Varanasi," an ABB statement said.

The converters are custom-designed for Indian Railways and will be manufactured at one of ABB's largest factories for locomotive applications in Nelamangala, near Bengaluru, according to the statement.

ABB's traction solution is based on the latest technology to bring more reliable trains to passengers, while increasing sustainable transport use by moving from diesel trains to electric. This helps rail operators achieve significant operational improvements, it added.

"We are delighted to be contributing to the electrification of India's rail network with ABB's locally manufactured solutions," said ABB Chief Executive Officer Ulrich Spiesshofer in the statement.

"By adopting advanced technologies, India is achieving rapid improvements in growth and productivity and shaping its economy for the era of digitalisation," he added.

"We are privileged to work with DLW and Indian Railways on the electrification of the domestic rail network in India – the fourth largest rail network in the world," said Sanjeev Sharma, managing director, ABB India, in the statement.

"This order will help to improve rail efficiency, so that passengers travelling in India will reach their destination on time and in comfort," Sharma said.

Currently, ABB traction equipment drives more than 250 electric locomotives operated by Indian Railways for both passenger and freight services. In India, more than 20 per cent of three-phase electric locomotives are equipped with traction converters from ABB, it said.

Last year, the government approved plans to fully electrify the Indian Railways by 2022.